There has been growing interest in systems for promoting applications (commonly referred to as “apps”), which provide rewards in one application in connection with use of one or more other applications. Known systems of this kind are described, for example, in US 2013/0324259 A1 and US 2013/0324260 A1.
In known systems for promoting applications, multiple game servers are connected to a network. Each game server implements a different electronic game and provides the electronic game over the network to client devices used by players. Each game server is also connected to an aggregator server operating an aggregator database and a cross-promotional engine. The aggregator database stores information transmitted from the game servers. The information in the aggregator database is utilised by the cross-promotion engine, in conjunction with rules, to establish promotions between the various electronic games. The cross-promotion engine tracks a user's progress in an electronic game and registers rewards to the user in a different electronic game, such as virtual goods and virtual items, based on the user's progress.
These known systems suffer from a number of disadvantages, however. For example, one disadvantage is that, in order for a user to earn a reward, the game servers must be connected to the aggregator server so that the cross-promotion engine in the game server can track the user's progress in an electronic game and register a reward to the user in a different electronic game.
It would be desirable to monitor a user's engagement of an application and calculate a reward for use in a different application such that the monitoring and calculation are performed on the same user processing device on which the applications are run. It would further be desirable to monitor a user's engagement of an application and calculate a reward for use in a different application such that the applications do not need to be modified, or require only minimal modification.